The Sears cookie ladies have been one of the sensations of IBS, and they didn’t even know it. They’ve been so busy baking 4,800 cookies a day in their Kenmore oven that they didn’t realize showgoers have been tweeting about them practically nonstop. So here’s a little well-deserved recognition for (from left) Dawn, Anna and [...]

  Now here’s a great reason to bring your bathing suit to the Builders’ Show — I sure wish I could have jumped in and tried the Fountainhead VibrAcoustic Bath from Kohler. The tub combines water, vibrations and sound to create a unique bathing experience. The vibrations sweep through the water in concert with the music. [...]

  One of the great things about trade shows is discovering interesting products you’ve never heard of before. So say hello to Eco-Nails by Maze Nails. Eco-Nails are made in the USA of 91% recycled steel. They’re the only nail with the stamp of approval from Scientific Certification Systems, an independent third-party verifier (at least, that’s what the [...]

Compact fluorescent lightbulbs save energy, but they take a long time to warm up and they’re not easily controlled by a dimmer. Leviton is showing a new CFL dimmer that not only controls the bulbs — it gives them a kick-start so they warm up faster. Most standard dimmers are made to work with incandescent [...]

 Green Day at IBS got off to a great start with some fascinating insights from a news conference featuring Brett Boyum, director of marketing for Marvin Windows and Doors, along with Ed Linder of Whirlpool Corp. and Shane Judd from Kohler Co. These three companies, longtime leaders in green manufacturing, sponsored this year’s Green Day. [...]

There’s been a lot of talk about building new, green industry. But America can take some big steps toward a greener future by reinvesting in our existing housing stock to promote energy efficiency. That’s according to Steven Tourek, senior vice president and general counsel for Marvin Windows and Doors. Tourek is also president of the [...]

This wind turbine mounts on top of your home and claims to produce more than 20 percent of the electricity needs of the average household. It was deveoped by WindTronics, of Muskegon, Mich., and is being jointly marketed under the Honeywell name. Fascinating — I didn’t know wind turbine technology had progressed to the scale [...]

Today at the IBS, garden home designer P. Allen Smith saw the dream window he designed for the myMarvin Project. Smith created the design and it was handcrafted in Warroad, Minn., by Marvin Windows and Doors. So, how did he like it? “Fabulous!” he said. “It’s even better than I would have thought!” Other unique [...]